NASCAR

NASCAR, officially the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC, is an American company that sanctions and operates auto racing events, most famously stock car racing. It ranks among the world’s top motorsports organizations and is one of the largest spectator sports leagues in the United States. This private company was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1948 and is headquartered in Daytona Beach, Florida. Each year, NASCAR oversees more than 1,500 races at over 100 tracks across 48 U.S. states, plus in Canada, Mexico, Brazil, and Europe.

Stock car racing’s origins lie with moonshine runners from the Prohibition era, who began competing against each other for pride. In 1935, Bill France Sr. started organizing races on Daytona Beach, hoping to attract spectators and offer racers fair payouts—unlike other promoters who often cheated winners. This venture succeeded, leading to the series’ official founding in 1948. Races were held in multiple divisions that evolved into a structured ladder: the top-tier Cup Series, the second-tier O'Reilly Auto Parts Series, the third-tier Truck Series, and smaller series below. Chevrolet, Ford, and Toyota compete in each series, with RAM also participating in the Truck Series.

Most NASCAR drivers are American, but competitors have come from Canada, Mexico, Europe, Australasia, and elsewhere. All Cup Series races take place in the United States and Mexico. A season includes 36 points-paying races, plus the pre-season Clash and the mid-season All-Star race. NASCAR primarily runs on oval tracks—including superspeedways, short tracks, and formerly dirt tracks—but also uses road courses and street circuits.

Richard Petty holds the Cup Series record for most wins, with 200. He is tied with Dale Earnhardt and Jimmie Johnson for the most championships, each having seven. As of the 2026 season, Kyle Larson is the defending Cup Series champion.

**History**

**Early stock car racing**

During the 1920s and 1930s, Daytona Beach replaced France and Belgium as the top location for world land speed records. After a historic 1903 race between Ransom Olds and Alexander Winton, 15 records were set on the Daytona Beach Road Course between 1905 and 1935. By 1936, Daytona Beach was synonymous with fast cars. Drivers raced on a 4.1-mile (6.6 km) course: a 1.5–2.0-mile (2.4–3.2 km) stretch of beach as one straightaway, and a narrow blacktop highway, State Road A1A, as the other. The two straights were linked by tight, deeply rutted, sand-covered turns at each end.

Stock car racing in the U.S. began with bootlegging during Prohibition, when drivers transported illegal whiskey, mainly from the Appalachian region. Bootleggers needed small, fast vehicles to evade police, and many modified their cars for speed, handling, and cargo capacity. The repeal of Prohibition in 1933 reduced this business, but Southerners still craved moonshine, and many drivers continued “runnin’ shine,” now dodging revenue agents who taxed their operations. Cars kept improving, and by the late 1940s, races featuring these vehicles were held for pride and profit. These events became popular entertainment in the rural South, especially in North Carolina’s Wilkes County. Most races at the time used modified cars—street vehicles that were lightened and reinforced.

**Significant people**

**Bill France Sr.**

Mechanic Bill France Sr. moved from Washington, D.C., to Daytona Beach, Florida, in 1935 to escape the Great Depression. He knew the area’s history of land speed records. France entered the 1936 Daytona event, finishing fifth, and took over running the course in 1938. He promoted a few races before World War II. France believed people would enjoy watching stock car races, as drivers were often cheated by dishonest promoters who fled with the money. On December 14, 1947, he began talks with other influential racers and promoters at the Ebony Bar in the Streamline Hotel in Daytona Beach. These discussions led to NASCAR’s formation on February 21, 1948.

**Erwin "Cannonball" Baker**

NASCAR’s first Commissioner was Erwin “Cannonball” Baker, a former stock car, motorcycle, and open-wheel racer who competed in the Indianapolis 500 and set over 100 land speed records. Baker was best known for his transcontinental speed runs, proving a car’s worth by driving it from New York to Los Angeles. After his death, the famous transcontinental race the “Cannonball Run” and the film it inspired were named in his honor. Baker is in the Automotive Hall of Fame, the Motorcycle Hall of Fame, and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame. This success across diverse racing associations earned him the title “King of the Road.”

**Bob "Barky" Barkhimer**

In the early 1950s, the U.S. Navy stationed Bill France Jr. at Moffett Federal Airfield in northern California. His father asked him to look up Bob Barkhimer in San Jose, California. Barkhimer was a star of midget car racing from the World War II era and later ran about 22 different speedways as head of the California Stock Car Racing Association. Young Bill developed a relationship with Barkhimer and his partner, Margo Burke. He attended events with them, stayed weekends, and became familiar with West Coast racing. “Barky,” as friends called him, traveled to Daytona Beach and met with...